Motorhome jargon sometimes can feel like a whole new language for a new motorhome owner. While researching motorhomes, you may have come across terms like ‘tare weight’, ‘GVM’ and so on. But what exactly do these terms mean, and why are they important?
Motorhome jargon sometimes can feel like a whole new language for a new motorhome owner. While researching motorhomes, you may have come across terms like ‘tare weight’, ‘GVM’ and so on. But what exactly do these terms mean, and why are they important?
These particular terms each relate to the safe weight and capacity of your vehicle. As such, they are very important in helping to determine what motorhome will be best for you and your travel style. To help, we have created this guide to tare weight, GVM and payload in Australia, so that you can ensure that you buy the right motorhome for your needs. Let’s dive in!
Why you need to know these terms
You may not meet insurance criteria
How to find out a motorhome’s tare weight, GVM or payload
Sometimes known as a motorhome’s ‘naked’ weight, the tare weight is the weight of an empty vehicle with all of its fluids. Simply put, this is your motorhome with nothing on board.
GVM stands for gross vehicle mass. Technically speaking, this measurement is the heaviest weight your vehicle can be when it’s fully loaded up as determined by the manufacturer. This includes the tare mass plus the load (including passengers), as well as any weight applied to the vehicle's tow bar.
This includes things like:
Payload, sometimes known as load capacity, is the difference between your motorhomes’ tare weight and GVM. It’s essentially the total load your vehicle can carry. Understanding this term is important when calculating how much capacity you will have for your passengers and their personal items.
Different motorhomes come with varied tare weight, GVM and payload. Knowing these terms can help inform your purchasing decisions. For example, if you intend to travel on weekend trips in your motorhome, you may only be packing a small suitcase and a few pantry items. This would mean you could likely get a motorhome with a lower payload without a worry. In contrast, if you were planning to move into your motorhome in a full-time capacity, you would probably bring many of your personal possessions, a fully stocked kitchen, and so on. This may require a higher payload and, in turn, the type of licence you would need to drive it. This would likely affect the type of motorhome you would want to buy too.
Understanding these terms is also essential to ensure that your motorhome is at a legal weight while you’re out on the road.
If you’re not at a legal weight while you’re out travelling, you can encounter a range of issues, such as:
All throughout Australia, there are weigh stations to monitor heavy vehicles to ensure they are meeting the road safety regulations and that drivers are legally fit to drive them. While travelling, there is a possibility you may be asked to pull onto a weigh station. If you don’t have the relevant licence for your motorhome, you could be given a fine. Understanding these motorhome terms will ensure you can be prepared with the right licence for the vehicle you are driving.
The types of licences and what they cover are:
GVM up to 4.5 tonnes (4500kg)
GVM more than 4.5 tonnes (4500kg), but no more than 8 tonnes (8000kg)
A motorhome with no more than 2 axels that is over 8 tonnes GVM (8000kg)
Each licence also has also other specifications and limitations, depending on the state. So it’s important to do further research into your state's guidelines:
If your motorhome is overweight and you don’t have the correct licence, you may cause an accident. Getting the appropriate licence for your motorhome’s GVM will ensure you have the experience and proper training to drive a heavier vehicle. Driving without one can be a danger to you and other road users. So if you do choose to go with a heavier vehicle, it’s important to get the proper training so that you can be as safe as possible while exploring all the beauty that Australia has to offer!
Depending on who you are insured with and your insurance policy, there will probably be strict wording in your cover around GVM and so on. The wording will often specify that your motorhome must be under a certain weight for you to be able to claim your insurance. Sometimes accidents happen, so matter how cautious you are. So it’s important to make sure all your insurance ducks are in a row, just in case.
So how do we find these important figures? In most cases, a motorhome’s GVM can all be found on the factory VIN compliance plate located on the inside of the driver's side door. For additional details, you can also consult the owner's manual.
If you are still worried about being a safe weight, it is a good idea to load up your motorhome to full capacity (of what you would intend to bring on a trip) and head to a local weighbridge. These can be found at your local rubbish dump, where they weigh vehicles upon entry and exit. You can do this with empty fluids, but to be safe, it's best to fill to full capacity to get an accurate number for peace of mind.
When it comes to safe motorhome weight, another set of terms that are important to understand are those relating to towing. Some travellers may have additional towing needs, including towing trailers, cars, boats, or simply adding additional storage boxes to the tow bar. If you choose to tow, it is important to understand the weight restrictions that apply. Here are a few additional terms worth noting:
Towing capacity is the maximum weight your vehicle can pull both legally and safely. Too much weight can result in a trailer swinging as well as risk pulling your vehicle out of control. These are ordinarily calculated by adding the GVM (gross vehicle mass) and the ATM (aggregate trailer mass) to ensure it is less than the GCM (gross combined mass). This can also be found in the owner's manual.
Tow ball mass, or coupling mass, is the weight imposed on the tow vehicle's tow bar by the coupling with a trailer. You will find the towing rating under the towing section of the owner’s manual/manufacturer's handbook.
GCM (gross combined mass) is the maximum mass of your loaded motorhome and tow vehicle hitched together.
Unless you intend to tow a car or boat, towing may not be necessary for a motorhome. Instead, it may be worthwhile choosing a motorhome with a higher GVM and payload. Then, it may simply be a case of optimising your storage solutions with some additional modifications and refurbishments to suit your needs. That way, you can ensure there is room for all the items you want and need on the road while exploring Australia.
Motorhome jargon such as GVM, tare weight and payload can be one of the more confusing parts of motorhome ownership. However, understanding them is essential to ensure that you buy the right motorhome for your lifestyle as well as to ensure that you are safe while driving throughout Australia. Want more information on motorhome jargon? Check out our motorhome ownership guides for beginners or chat with a KEA professional today.
In the market for a new motorhome? Find the KEA vehicle for you by checking out the range of KEA motorhomes online or by chatting with the KEA team. With a wide range of self-contained vehicles ranging from our simple no-fuss Toyota Hiace campervans to our luxury 6-berth Mercedes motorhomes, we have something for all travel styles and licence weight class requirements!